Universal trailer mounted proportional brake controller

ABSTRACT

A trailer mounted proportional brake controller for a towed vehicle and a method of controlling the brakes of a towed vehicle is described. The brake control unit may control the brakes of a towed vehicle. The brake control unit may include a power control unit and a hand control unit. The power control unit may be connected to the brakes of the towed vehicle and the power control unit may be capable of selectively controlling the brakes of the towed vehicle based on a set of braking parameters. The hand control unit may be configured to remotely communicate with the power control unit. The hand control unit may be capable of transmitting information to the power control unit to adjust at least one of the braking parameters and receiving information from the power control unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/200,205, entitled “Universal Trailer Mounted Proportional BrakeController,” filed on Nov. 25, 2008, which is hereby incorporated in itsentirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a brake controller and, moreparticularly, to a brake controller for a towed vehicle.

BACKGROUND

A variety of brake controllers may be employed to control the brakes ofa towed vehicle. Typically, the brake controller of a towed vehicle mayactuate the towed vehicle's brakes in response to braking by the towingvehicle. These brake controllers may often include accelerometers andmicroprocessors which may measure and/or take into account a variety ofconditions (e.g., braking signal, acceleration, etc.), whereby the brakecontroller may apply the towed vehicle's brakes in such a manner thatassists in stopping the towing vehicle and towed vehicle, and may alsoreduce the likelihood of skidding, jack-knifing, swaying and the like.

The towed vehicle's brake controller is often mounted to the towingvehicle. Typically, the brake controller may be hard-wired to the towingvehicle, such as being mounted in the cab or passenger compartment ofthe towing vehicle. The brake controller may communicate with the brakesystem of the towed vehicle by means of a wiring system that may providecommunication between the towing vehicle's brake system and the towedvehicle's brake system.

Hard wiring the brake controller to the towing vehicle is often timeconsuming and expensive. In addition, some vehicles are not manufacturedwith the appropriate wiring necessary for a towed vehicle's brakecontroller, and thus, require aftermarket installation of such wiring,which is time consuming and expensive. Moreover, mounting the brakecontroller in the cab or passenger compartment of the towing vehicle mayfrequently require mechanically fastening, such as with screws, bolts,etc., the brake controller to the dash or other interior surface orcomponent of the vehicle, thereby resulting in permanent damage to thedash or other interior component of the towing vehicle.

In some instances, the brake controller may be programmed by a user totake into account variables, such as vehicle weight, road conditions,and other parameters that may potentially affect braking effectiveness.Current brake controllers may not be operable to receive instructionsfrom a user located in the towing vehicle when the towing and towedvehicles are in use and in motion.

In addition, some brake controllers may be required to be mounteddirectly to the towed vehicle, which precludes them from any adjustmentswhen the towing vehicle is in motion. Moreover, it may be desirable tobe able to program the brake controller during vehicle motion as thisprogramming may provide for diagnostics and more accurate input, such asmaximum brake output power and the like.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved brake controllerthat may be used with various trailer braking means, such as electronicor hydraulic brakes, that allows the user to make adjustments to thebrake controller while the vehicle is in motion. The brake controller isalso not required to be hard wired to a towing vehicle whereby theoperator may quickly change between different towing vehicles and whilestill using the same trailer. In addition, the power control unit of thebrake controller may be mounted in any fixed location and is independentof direction of travel.

SUMMARY

A trailer mounted proportional brake controller for a towed vehicle isdescribed. The brake control unit may control the brakes of a towedvehicle. The brake control unit may include a power control unit and ahand control unit. The power control unit may be connected to the brakesof the towed vehicle and the power control unit may be capable ofselectively controlling the brakes of the towed vehicle based on a setof braking parameters. The hand control unit may be configured toremotely communicate with the power control unit. The hand control unitmay be capable of transmitting information to the power control unit toadjust at least one of the braking parameters.

In addition, the power control unit may be capable of controlling thebrakes. The hand control unit may be remotely connected to the powercontrol unit. The hand control unit may include a display. The handcontrol unit may be capable of receiving information regarding thestatus of the brakes from the power control unit. the display of thehand control unit may be capable of displaying information from thepower control unit, such as diagnostics, connectivity, status, brakeoutput voltage, and the like.

A method of controlling the brakes of a towed vehicle is described. Themethod may include inputting information, transmitting information andadjusting and controlling the brakes of the towed vehicle based on thatinformation. Information may be inputted into a hand control unit. Thatinformation may be remotely transmitted from the hand control unit to apower control unit. At least one of a set of braking parameters may beadjusted in the power control unit based on that information. The brakesmay be controlled based on the braking parameters.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Objects and advantages, together with the operation of the invention,may be better understood by reference to the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the following illustrations,wherein like numerals indicate like elements throughout, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a brake controller.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a hand control unit of thebrake controller.

FIG. 3 illustrates another perspective view of the hand control unit ofthe brake controller.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a power control unit of thebrake controller.

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of the power control unit of the brakecontroller.

FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of the power control unit of the brakecontroller.

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective, environmental view of the powercontrol unit of the brake controller.

FIG. 8 illustrates an electrical block diagram of the hand control unitof FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 illustrates an electrical block diagram of the power control unitof FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilizedand structural and functional changes may be made without departing fromthe respective scope of the invention. As such, the followingdescription is presented by way of illustration only and should notlimit in any way the various alternatives and modifications that may bemade to the illustrated embodiments and still be within the spirit andscope of the invention.

A trailer mounted proportional brake controller (“brake controller”) 10is shown in FIGS. 1-9. The brake controller 10 may be an electroniccontrol device that may provide braking power to brakes on a towedvehicle (not shown) that may be proportional to the level of brakingeffort supplied by the towing vehicle (not shown). The brake controller10 may generally include a hand control unit 20 and a power control unit50.

The hand control unit 20 and power control unit 50 may communicate withone another via a Radio Frequency (RF) link. For example, each unit 20,50 may include a RF module 42, 72 respectively (FIGS. 8 and 9). The handcontrol unit 20 may be operable to receive user input for various brakecontrol parameters and communicate that user input to the power controlunit 50. The power control unit 50 may be operable to actuate a towedvehicle's brakes in accordance with the brake control parametersinputted by the user into the hand control unit 20. It is to beunderstood, however, that the power control unit 50 may operateindependently from the hand control unit 20.

The power control unit 50 may be operable to transmit data from brakingand other events to the hand control unit 20. In turn, the hand controlunit 20 may display, or otherwise communicate, feedback from such anevent to the user for review, whereby the user may then adjust one ormore brake control parameters or make any other necessary and/ordesirable adjustments based on that feedback. Advantageously, the RFcommunication between the hand control unit 20 and the power controlunit 50 may allow the brake controller 10 to operate without beinghard-wired to the towing vehicle's brake system.

The hand control unit 20 may be of any appropriate shape or size, suchas a generally rectangular, triangular or circular shape. For example,the hand control unit 20 may generally be an easily movable type ofremote. The hand control unit 20 may be located at any appropriatelocation, such as within the towing vehicle's cab or passengercompartment and within the user's reach, whereby the user may easilyinput instructions and receive feedback from the hand control unit 20.

The hand control unit 20 may include a body 18 and one or more useroperable controls or user interface devices 36. The user interfacedevices 36 may receive instructions from a user and may display data orsystem information for review by the user. The interface devices 36 mayinclude a power or gain wheel 22, a boost button 24 and a manual orcontrol knob 26 for receiving instructions from the user, as well as adisplay screen 28 and a loudspeaker 34 for providing feedback to theuser, such as settings, outputs and faults (FIGS. 1-3 and 8).

The hand control unit 20 may also include a power supply circuit 38, amicroprocessor 40, and an RF module 42 for communicating with the powercontrol unit 50 (FIG. 8). As used herein, the term “microprocessor” mayinclude a general-purpose processor, a microcontroller (e.g., anexecution unit with memory, etc., integrated within an integratedcircuit), a digital signal processor (DSP), a programmable logic device(PLD) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), among anyother appropriate type of processing devices.

While the brake controller 10 is shown and described herein as utilizingan RF module to communicate between the hand control unit 20 and thepower control unit 50, it is to be understood that any other appropriatetype of communication may be utilized, such as a wired communicationlink between the two units 20, 50, and should not be limited to thatdisclosed herein.

The microprocessor 40 may be operable to receive, process and transmitinformation to and from the user interface devices 36 as well as the RFmodule 42 (FIG. 8). The RF module 42 may transmit instructions from thehand control unit microprocessor 40 to the RF module 72 of the powercontrol unit 50, as well as receive feedback and other data from the RFmodule 72 of the power control unit 50 whereby the data is thenforwarded to the microprocessor 40 for further processing.

The gain wheel 22 may be operable to allow the user to set the maximumbraking force supplied (i.e., maximum brake output voltage) to the towedvehicle's brakes by the power control unit 50. The gain wheel 22 may beof any appropriate type, such as a rotary or wheel-type potentiometer.It will be understood, however, that any input device that allows theuser to increase or decrease the gain setting may be employed. Forexample, a linear-travel potentiometer, digitally controlledpotentiometer, touch portions on a display screen, displacementtransducer, alphanumeric keyboard, or the like may be used. Themicroprocessor 40 may receive, store and transmit the gain controlsettings from the user's adjustment of the wheel 22 to the power controlmodule 50 via a communications link between the respective RF modules42, 72.

The manual control or knob 26 of the hand control unit 10 may beoperable to actuate the towed vehicle's brakes when the user moves theknob 26 from a rest position. This may allow the user to manually applythe towed vehicle's brakes without having to depress the towingvehicle's brake pedal. The manual knob 26 may be of any appropriatetype, such as a spring-loaded, linear-travel potentiometer, whereby thefurther the knob 26 is moved from the rest position, the greater thebraking force (i.e., brake output voltage) applied by the towedvehicle's brakes.

While the manual knob 26 may be a spring-loaded, linear-travelpotentiometer, it will be understood that any appropriate type of inputdevice that allows the user to manually apply and vary the braking forceof the towed vehicle's brakes may be employed. For example, a rotarypotentiometer, digitally controlled potentiometer, touch portions on adisplay screen, displacement transducer, alphanumeric keyboard, and thelike may be used. The microprocessor 40 may receive, store and transmitthe manual control settings from the user adjustment of the knob 26 tothe power control module 50 via a communications link between therespective RF modules 42, 72.

The manual knob 26 may provide an increasing brake output voltage fromthe brake controller 10 as the manual knob 26 is moved from the at restposition. Activation of the manual knob 26 may also immediately wake upthe hand control unit 20, turn the display on, and indicate trailerconnectivity when the trailer is connected or not connected.

When the manual knob 26 is used simultaneously with the automatic modeduring a braking event, the function that produces the greater brakeoutput voltage will become dominant. The manual control input to thebrake controller 10 may allow the operator to manually apply trailerbrakes without having to depress the brake pedal. By holding the manualknob 26 at maximum, the user may adjust the desired maximum power byadjusting the gain wheel 22.

In terms of its effect on the braking voltage, the manual knob 26 mayhave a range from 0.0 volts minimum to a maximum voltage set by the gainwheel 22. The hand control unit's 20 microprocessor 40 may learn themechanical travel limits of the manual knob 26 and store these values.These values may be used to set the minimum and maximum limits of travelfor the manual software algorithm. The hand control unit's 20microprocessor 40 may supply both the power supply and ground referenceto the manual knob 26 potentiometer. When the manual knob 26 isactivated, it may cause a flashing display message to become stationarywhile the manual knob 26 is held on.

The gain wheel 22 may allow the operator to increase or decrease themaximum braking force supplied to the trailer brakes. The user may useboth the gain wheel 22 and the manual knob 26 to set the maximum brakingforce applied during a full braking event. For example, the towedvehicle's brakes may be fully applied with the manual knob 26 whilesimultaneously setting the maximum brake output voltage with the gainwheel 22. The maximum brake output voltage may be limited by the gainwheel 22 adjustment setting. This gain set point may allow the operatorto limit the towed vehicle's wheel skidding during a braking event. Inaddition, if the brake pedal is depressed while the manual knob 26 isalso actuated, the function that produces the greater output voltage atthe power control unit 50 will be used.

During either manual or automatic operation, power adjustment mayimmediately change the maximum output voltage that may be applied to theelectric brake magnets. For a given fixed gain wheel 22 setting, theoutput from a full manual control application should be thesubstantially the same as the full output from the decelerationdetermined by the accelerometer 68. The gain wheel 22 may be interfacedvia an analog input directly connected to the microprocessor 40 in thehand control unit 20. The hand control unit's 20 microprocessor 40 maysupply both the power supply and ground reference to the gain wheel 22potentiometer.

The hand control unit 20 may be equipped with a display 28. The display28 may be of any appropriate shape, size or type, such as a generallyrectangular, square or circular shaped, two character, seven segment LEDdisplay 28. System feedback and operator input, such as trailerconnection, output voltage, and diagnostic information may be displayedon the hand control unit's 20 display 28. The gain wheel 22 setting andrelative trailer braking power during a braking event may be provided tothe operator through the hand control unit's 20 display 28. Additionalinformation, including system diagnostics may be shown on the display28.

For example, a two-digit LED display 28 may be used. It will beappreciated, however, that any variety of display screens may beemployed, including but not limited to LCD, vacuum fluorescent,touch-screen and the like. In addition, the user's gain and/or boostsetting may be displayed on the screen 28. The display screen 28 mayalso indicate that the respective RF modules 42, 72 of the hand controlunit 20 and power control unit 50 are in communication with one another.

The hand control unit 20 may also be equipped with a loud speaker 34.The display screen 28 and loudspeaker 34 may be operable to providefeedback to the user. The feedback provided to the user via the displayscreen 28 and/or loudspeaker 34 may include any appropriate type ofinformation, such as verification of user input, information receivedfrom the power control unit 50, and the like. For example, the displayscreen 28 may display the actual brake output voltage during a brakingevent.

In addition, the display screen 28 and/or loudspeaker 34 may also notifyor warn the user of certain fault conditions whereby the display screen28 shows an alphanumeric code corresponding with a specific faultcondition which may also be accompanied by a beep, tone or series ofbeeps and/or tones annunciated by the loudspeaker 34. For example, somefault conditions with alphanumeric codes may include:

“NC” for no connectivity or loss of connectivity between the towing andtowed vehicle;

“SH” for a short circuit in the towed vehicle's electric brake circuitor a shorted electric brake magnet;

“OL” for an electrical overload or an exceeding of a pre-defined brakeoutput current during a braking event;

“OG” for an open ground sensed on the power control unit.

It is to be understood that other fault conditions and correspondingalphanumeric codes may also be displayed and/or annunciated and thosedescribed herein are for illustrative purposes only. As an alternative,the display screen 28 may describe the fault condition in full textand/or employ a voice module to enunciate the detection of certain faultconditions.

A boost button 24 may be provided to permit adjustment of how quicklythe trailer brakes respond to the application of the towing vehiclesbrakes. The boost button 24 may be a separate button that may incrementor change the boost setting in the brake controller 10. The boost button24 of the hand control unit 20 may be operable to allow the user to setthe initial brake output voltage of the power control unit 50.

The boost button 24 may allow the user to change deceleration parametersbased on the towed vehicle's size, weight, and road conditions.Typically, the requisite amount of boost may be proportional to theweight of the towed vehicle. For example, the larger and heavier thetowed vehicle, the greater the boost setting employed. Various boostlevels or settings may be pre-programmed into the microprocessor 40whereby the boost button 24 may be employed to cycle through the variousboost settings until the user finds the boost setting of choice.Alternatively, a user may manually input the desired boost setting.

In normal automatic operation, the brake controller 10 may ramp up theoutput voltage from zero to the voltage set by the gain wheel 22setting, in proportion to the horizontal deceleration sensed by theaccelerometer 68. The output voltage may be determined based on currentboost settings and any applied algorithms. The necessary decelerationrequired to reach the maximum power setting may be reduced for eachlevel of boost.

The microprocessor 40 may receive, store and transmit the boost controlsettings from the user to the power control module 50 via a link betweenthe respective RF modules 42, 72. While the brake controller 10 mayemploy the boost button 24, it will be understood that any appropriatetype of input device that allows a user to either cycle through variouspre-programmed boost settings and/or manually input an initial brakeoutput voltage may be employed. For example, rotary potentiometer,linear-travel potentiometer, digitally controlled potentiometer, touchportions on a display screen, displacement transducer, alphanumerickeyboard, and the like.

While the brake controller 10 may be shown and described as being usedwith certain user interface devices 36 and associated inputs, it is tobe understood that any appropriate number of types of interface devicesand inputs may be used and should not be limited to those disclosedherein. The hand control unit 20 may be operable to receive and transmitother instructions and data from a user. For example, other user inputsmay include: vehicle speed, ABS input, road conditions, towed vehicleweight, towing vehicle weight, and the like.

No mounting holes are needed in the driver's compartment or cab of thetowing vehicle to use the hand control unit 20. The hand control unit 20may be held in place on the dash with a dash pad (not shown). The handcontrol unit 20 may also be placed in a recessed tray or cup holderbuilt into the vehicle's interior. The hand control unit 20 may bepowered by the towing vehicle's electrical system. For example, the handcontrol unit 20 may include a power cord 30.

The power cord 30 may connected to an auxiliary power port connecter 32.The auxiliary power port connector 32 may be plugged into one of thevehicle's accessory or cigarette lighter outlets and provides electricalpower to the power supply circuit 38. However, it will be understoodthat the hand control unit 20 may be powered through a variety of anyother appropriate means, such as by a battery, solar power, and thelike. The hand control unit 20 may also employ an energy conservationmode whereby after a certain period of inactivity, the microprocessor 50may shut down certain portions of the unit's circuitry to conserveenergy. The hand control unit 20 may be easily removed from theauxiliary power port, such as a cigarette lighter, and stored when nottowing or in use.

The power control unit 50 may include a cover 48, a body 52, a powersupply circuit 64, a microprocessor 66, an accelerometer 68, one or morepower output devices 70, and an RF module 72 for communicating with thehand control unit 20 (FIGS. 1, 4-7 and 9). In addition, the powercontrol unit 50 may include a receptacle 74 for receiving a seven-waycable of the towed vehicle, as well as a its own seven-way cable 56 thatconnects directly to a corresponding seven-way receptacle 58 of thetowing vehicle (FIGS. 1 and 7).

The power control unit 50 may be attached to the frame 14 of the towedvehicle by any appropriate means, such as with fasteners, welding or thelike. For example, the power control unit 50 may include at least onemounting flange or bracket 60. The power control unit 50 may be securedto the trailer frame 14 by the mounting brackets 60 and fasteners 62,such as screws, bolts, nuts or the like (FIGS. 5-7). The power controlunit 50 may be mounted to any suitable surface S on the trailer frame 14(FIG. 7). The power control unit 50 may be mounted in any directionrelative to direction of travel. The cover 48 of the power control unit50 should be located above the trailer frame 14 rail.

The power control unit 50 may include a cable 56 that may plug into areceptacle (not shown) of the towing vehicle. The cable 56 may be of anyappropriate shape, size or type, such as a 7-way cable 56 (FIGS. 1, 5and 6). When all connections are made, this connection may supply allpower and signals to both the power control unit 50 and to the towedvehicle or trailer. No additional wiring on the trailer is necessary.

The power control unit 50 may receive electrical power to power thepower supply circuit 64, as well as brake, tail light, and turn signalinformation from the towing vehicle. However, it will be readilyappreciated that the power control unit 50 and towing vehicle may beelectrically connected by any suitable cable/pin configuration,including but not limited to four-pin, five-pin, six-pin, etc. The powercontrol unit 50 may typically be mounted to the frame 14 of a towedvehicle such that the power control unit 50 may be in series between thetowing vehicle and the towed vehicle. Additionally, the power controlunit 50 may also include indicators, such as a display or one or moreLED's 76, to display status or for diagnostic purposes.

The RF module 72 of the power control unit 50 may be operable to receiveinstructions from the RF module 42 of the hand control unit 20, as wellas transmit feedback, diagnostics, drive input and other data from thepower control unit 50 to the RF module 42 of the hand control unit 20,whereby that information from the power control unit 50 may be viewed onthe display 28 of the hand control unit 20. Additional data may also betransmitted by the RF module 72, including but not limited to towedbattery voltage, towed vehicle wheel speed, sway, brake temperature,tire pressure, etc.

The accelerometer 68 of the power control unit 50 may be operable tomeasure deceleration of the towed vehicle during a breaking event. Themicroprocessor 66 may employ this deceleration data in a softwarealgorithm to control the towed vehicle's brakes. The accelerometer 68may be of any appropriate type of accelerometer, such as an AnalogDevices™ ADXL213AE accelerometer, a low-cost +/−1.2 g dual axisaccelerometer, or any other suitable single, dual or three-axisaccelerometer. Through the use of the accelerometer 68, the brakecontroller 10 may determine the towing vehicle's rate of decelerationand then apply the trailer brakes to match. The proportional brakecontroller 10 delivers power to the trailer brakes in directrelationship to the actual physical deceleration of the towing vehicle.

The accelerometer 68 of the power control unit 50 may be soldereddirectly to the PC Board. Brake controllers may typically use a solidstate accelerometer have typically used a separate daughter board thatis mounted perpendicularly or at 90 degrees to the motherboard. Thisprovides for the optimum mounting angle for a 2-axis accelerometer. Thepower control unit 50 may be mounted in the direction of travel, suchthat the X-axis and Y-axis may be measured and processed fordeceleration. The power control unit 50 may be mounted in anyappropriate direction or angle.

Two-axis accelerometers may be required to be mounted flat to thehorizon. As an alternative, the accelerometer may be mounted in thevertical in the direction of travel. Two-axis accelerometers mounted inthe horizontal plane rather than the vertical plane must be mounted inaccordance with a “this end up” sticker or something similar to indicatethe appropriate direction. A two-axis accelerometer may sensedeceleration with respect to the horizon instead of a fixed forwarddirection and may require the user to install the brake control unit asspecified with the correct end pointing upwards.

The microprocessor 66 of the power control unit 50 may be operable toreceive and process information transmitted through the towed vehicle'sseven-way cable 56 (e.g., right and left turn and stop signals, etc.),as well as receive, process and transmit information to and from the RFmodule 72, the accelerometer 68 and power output device 70. Themicroprocessor 66 may be of any appropriate type of microprocessor, suchas a Freescale™ MC9S08AW32 microprocessor.

During a braking event, the microprocessor 66 may detect the initiationof the braking event by receiving, decoding and processing brakinginformation from the towing vehicle via the aforementioned seven-wayconnections. The microprocessor 66 may then use the brake controlparameters inputted by the user in conjunction with deceleration datameasured by the accelerometer 68 in a software algorithm to calculatethe deceleration rate of the combined towing and towed vehicles togenerate a Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) brake output voltage, which maybe supplied to the power output devices 70.

Accordingly, these power output devices 70, in turn, may actuate thetowed vehicle's brakes. The towed vehicle may have any appropriate typeof brakes, such as electric brakes, electric-over-hydraulic brakes, orthe like. Typically, the greater the combined deceleration ratecalculated by the microprocessor 66, the greater the PWM brake outputvoltage supplied to the power output devices 70 and greater the brakingforce applied by the towed vehicle's brakes.

The brake controller 10 may determine the occurrence of a braking eventby processing signals from the left and right stop and turn indicatorwires. The power control unit 50 may then supply power to the trailerbrakes proportional to the deceleration rate. The braking energyprovided to the trailer's brakes may be varied in proportion to the rateof deceleration with a Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) signal that mayadjust the output between nominally 0 Volts and available batteryvoltage. The higher the duty cycle, the greater the braking poweravailable. An algorithm programmed into the brake controller 10 maydetermine the PWM output signal communicated to the brake magnets on thetrailer, based on brake activation signals and deceleration informationfrom the accelerometer 68. The brake controller 10 may also use operatorselected settings sent from the hand control unit 20 to modify thesignal communicated to the trailer brakes.

In addition, the microprocessor 66 may also record data from a brakingevent, as well as monitor for certain fault conditions, and transmitsuch data and/or fault condition error codes to the hand control unit 20via the communications link between the respective RF modules 42, 72.The power control unit 50 may also employ an energy conservation modewhereby after a certain amount of inactivity, the microprocessor 66 willshut down certain portions of the unit's circuitry to conserve power.

The power control unit 50 may include a relay 78 (FIG. 9). The relay 78may protect the towing vehicle's power supply system. The current may bemeasured through the relay 78 contacts. If the measured current exceedsa predetermined value, the relay 78 may open for a specific period oftime to protect the towing vehicle's power supply due to additionalcurrent being drawn by the towed vehicle's braking and other electricalsystems. The relay 78 may close after such period of time tore-establish the connection with the towing vehicle's power supplysystem.

The brake controller 10 may operate with reduced performance if the handcontrol unit 20 is removed or disconnected while the trailer is in use.The brake controller 10 may hold the trailer within a reduced level ofthe maximum power setting while the operator is at a standstill, such as25%, with the brake pedal applied for longer than a predetermined time,such as 5-7 seconds. The brake controller 10 may brake proportionally inreverse. The brake controller 10 may apply the appropriate brake voltagebased on deceleration.

To conserve power, the brake controller 10 may enter a sleep mode twohours after there has been no movement or braking activity on the powercontrol unit 50 or the hand control unit 20. Pressing the brake pedal inthe tow vehicle or connecting/disconnecting the trailer from the powercontrol unit 50 may wake up both the power control unit 50 and handcontrol unit 20. The hand control unit 20 may wake up by any activationof the manual knob 26, gain wheel 22 or boost button 24. However, if thepower control unit 50 does not have power or is disconnected, the handcontrol unit 20 may indicated it is not connected and then return to thesleep mode.

Wireless communication between the hand control unit 20 and powercontrol unit 50 eliminates the need for under dash wiring. The brakecontroller 10 may provide for continual diagnostic scanning with avisual warning in the hand display 28 should a fault condition occur.Power saving mode reduces drain on battery when vehicle is not in use.

The brake controller 10 may also include a reverse mode. Pressing theboost button 24 for five seconds while the brake pedal is pressed mayturn off the boost and ramp for a period of three minutes or until theboost button 24 is pressed without the brake pedal. The purpose of thereverse mode is to keep the trailer brakes from coming on due to boostor ramp while backing up and/or riding the brake. The trailer brakes mayonly be applied during reverse deceleration or manual operation. Uponrelease from reverse mode, the boost may return to the previous level.

The brake controller 10 may be installed by any appropriate means ormethod. For example, the brake controller 10 may be installed asfollows: the hand control unit 30 may be plugged into a 12V power portin the driver's compartment; the power control unit 50 may be mounted tothe trailer frame 14 with fasteners; the 7-way cable of the powercontrol unit 50 may be plugged into the towing vehicle's 7-wayconnector; the hand control unit 20 may be paired with the power controlunit 50 to complete the RF link; the 7-way cable of the trailer may beplugged into the power control unit 50; and then the vehicles may betest driven to adjust the power (gain) control on the hand control unit20 to adjust the brake control's output to the towed vehicle weight.

The hand control unit 20 may be paired to the power control unit 50 byany appropriate means or method. For example, the hand control unit 20may be pre-paired or synchronized to the power control unit 50 prior topurchase or the hand control unit 20 may be individually paired to thepower control unit 50.

The brake controller 10 may be self-leveling or may automaticallyacquire the proper level setting of the tow vehicle and trailercombination during the pairing operation. Upon a successful pairing, thetrailer mount power module may store the measured acceleration due togravity and zero out the learning of the forward direction foracceleration, which may be re-learned based on subsequent stops.

The power control unit 50 may use a standard blade style 7-way truck andtrailer connectors. The power control unit 50 may be watertight andinclude a sealed eight foot 7-way cable 56. The power control unit 50may be powered through the 7-way cable 56 from the towing vehicle. Whilethe brake controller 10 is shown and described herein as utilized a7-way connection on the power control unit 50, it is to be understoodthat the power control unit 50 may utilized any appropriate type ofconnection, such as a 4-way, 13-pin, and the like, and should not belimited to that disclosed herein. In addition, the power control unit 50may be hard wired directly from the trailer to the towing vehicle.

The invention has been described above and, obviously, modifications andalterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding ofthis specification. The claims as follows are intended to include allmodifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope ofthe claims or the equivalent thereof.

1. A brake control unit for controlling the brakes of a towed vehicle,said brake control unit comprising: a power control unit connected tosaid towed vehicle, said power control unit capable of selectivelycontrolling the brakes of said towed vehicle based on a set of brakingparameters; a hand control unit configured to remotely communicate withsaid power control unit; and wherein said hand control unit is capableof transmitting information to said power control unit to adjust atleast one of said braking parameters.
 2. The brake controller of claim1, wherein said hand control unit communicates with said power controlunit by way of Radio Frequency (RF) communication.
 3. The brakecontroller of claim 2, wherein said power control unit is capable oftransmitting information to said hand control unit.
 4. The brakecontroller of claim 1, wherein said power control unit is capable ofselectively applying a voltage to said brakes.
 5. The brake controllerof claim 4, wherein said hand control unit is capable of adjusting saidvoltage applied to said brakes.
 6. The brake controller of claim 1,wherein said braking parameters include gain to control maximum brakingforce.
 7. The brake controller of claim 6, wherein said gain isadjustable by said hand controller.
 8. The brake controller of claim 1further comprising an accelerometer connected to said power controlunit.
 9. The brake controller of claim 8, wherein said power controlunit is connected to a braking system on said towing vehicle.
 10. Thebrake controller of claim 9 further comprising a microprocessorconnected to said power control unit.
 11. The brake controller of claim10, wherein said microprocessor is configured to adjust said brakingparameters based on an input from said accelerometer, an input from saidbraking system on said towing vehicle, and an input from said handcontrol unit.
 12. The brake controller of claim 11 wherein saidmicroprocessor is capable of regulating the braking force of said brakeson said towed vehicle to be proportionate to the braking force of saidbrakes on said towing vehicle.
 13. A brake controller comprising: apower control unit connected to the brakes of a towed vehicle, saidpower control unit capable of controlling said brakes; a hand controlunit remotely connected to said power control unit; wherein said handcontrol unit is capable of receiving information regarding the status ofsaid brakes from said power control unit; and wherein said hand controlunit includes a display that is capable of displaying said informationfrom said power control unit.
 14. The brake control unit of claim 13,wherein said information includes the status of said brakes includingdiagnostics and fault conditions related to said power control unit. 15.The brake control unit of claim 13, wherein said power control unitincludes a cover and is capable of being mounted in any direction onsaid towed vehicle whereby said cover is in an upwards direction. 16.The brake control unit of claim 13, wherein said hand control unit isconfigured to receive power from a vehicle's auxiliary power port. 17.The brake control unit of claim 13, wherein said hand control unit iscapable of transmitting information to said power control unit.
 18. Amethod of controlling the brakes of a towed vehicle comprising:inputting information into a hand control unit; remotely transmittingsaid information from said hand control unit to a power control unit;adjusting at least one of a set of braking parameters in said powercontrol unit based on said information; and controlling said brakesbased on said braking parameters.
 19. The method of controlling thebrakes of a towed vehicle of claim 18 further comprising the step ofsending information from said power control unit to said hand controlunit.
 20. The method of controlling the brakes of a towed vehicle ofclaim 18, wherein said power control unit is removably connectable inseries between the towed vehicle and a towing vehicle.